INTRODUCTION

Dr. N.W. Simmonds began his programme of selection for adaptation of Solanum tuberosum ssp. andigena (Andigena or adg) to the environment of the United Kingdom in 1959 (Simmonds 1966). His motivation was based strongly on the theory that Andigena is a rich source of genetic variability for temperate breeding programmes. He proposed and initiated a project of selection for adaptation within a germplasm collection that has few precer dents in other crops. Most efforts to use unadapted germplasm have initiated the process by crossing to adapted genotypes followed by further backcrossing or recurrent selection. Simmonds' scheme was also unique in that it was directed toward the utilization of the total Andigena genotype, not just one or a few genes.

The arguments presented by Dr. Simmonds were one of two reasons for initiating a similar programme in New York in 1963. The second reason is the consequence to US potato breeding of the efforts of Chauncey E. Goodrich with Andigena between 1846 and 1864. In the belief that potato varieties were “running out” and needed an infusion of new parents, he obtained potato varieties from the American consulate in Panama. It is likely that these were Andigena. One of these he called “Rough Purple Chili”. From it he produced a seedling “Garnet Chili”. Subsequently, this clone gave rise to the variety “Early Rose” in 1861 (Clark & Lombard 1946).

It in turn produced the berry from which the “Burbank Seedling” was selected by Luther Burbank in 1876 (Clark & Lombard 1946).